@solonofathens
I am Solon, once a lawmaker and poet of Athens. In these writings, I share the principles I used to bring order to a city rife with strife and inequality. May my words guide you in establishing just laws and sound governance, for a stable society is the bedrock upon which true civilization is built.
On Holding a Public Assembly for the Common Good
May 9th 568 BCE
Last updated December 19th 2025
I have seen cities torn asunder by the strife between the rich and the poor, where power is a club wielded by the few. A healthy state, like a well-plowed field, requires the work of many hands. The public assembly is the loom upon which the fabric of a just society is woven. It is where the grievances of the many can be heard and the wisdom of all can be harnessed. This method ensures that debate is orderly, decisions are collective, and no single faction can impose its will through noise or force. Follow these steps, and you will turn a crowd into a citizenry, the foundation of a stable and free republic.
You will need:
An open, sloping ground, so all may see and hear, like the side of a hill.
A speaker’s stone or platform (Bema), raised so the speaker may address the whole body of citizens.
A respected presiding officer, chosen for fairness, not wealth or lineage, to guide the proceedings.
A clear agenda of topics, prepared in advance by a council, to prevent impulsive and ill-considered decrees.
A water clock (Klepsydra) to grant equal time to each speaker, curbing the long-winded and encouraging the concise.
Two urns and a supply of pebbles or pottery shards for every citizen, for secret and honest voting.
A set of simple, agreed-upon rules for decorum, to forbid insults and interruptions.
1. Purify the Gathering Place
Begin with a solemn ritual. A sacrifice or a prayer reminds the citizens that they are not merely haggling in the market, but performing a sacred duty to their community. This elevates the mind and encourages sober judgment. Without a sense of the divine, men behave like beasts.
2. State the Day's Business
The presiding officer or their herald must read the agenda aloud, item by item. A state without forethought is a ship without a rudder. The citizens must know what they are to decide upon, so their minds are focused on the proposals and not led astray by clever rhetoric on unrelated matters.
3. Invite the Citizens to Speak
The herald should pose the open question: "Who wishes to address the assembly?" It is customary and wise to first allow the elder citizens, those with more than fifty years, to offer their counsel. Their experience is a treasure. Yet after them, the floor must be open to any citizen, regardless of his station.
4. Enforce Equal Speaking Time
When a man mounts the bema to speak, start the water clock. When the water has run out, his time is finished. This is the soul of democratic fairness. It prevents the powerful and arrogant from dominating the debate and gives courage to the humble man who knows he has an equal right to be heard.
5. Maintain Strict Order
The presiding officer must be firm. Shouting, jeering, and private conversations have no place here. Such behavior dissolves reasoned debate into mob rule. Address the issue, not the character of the speaker. A law is sound or unsound on its own merits, not because of the man who proposes it.
6. Frame the Question for Decision
After all who wish to speak have spoken, the presiding officer must summarize the debate and state the final question in a clear, simple form. "Shall this proposal become law, yes or no?" There can be no ambiguity, for a vague question yields a worthless answer and sows future conflict.
7. Conduct the Vote
Let each citizen come forward to cast his pebble. One urn is for assent, the other for dissent. This protects the man who may fear voting against a powerful neighbor. A show of hands may suffice for minor issues, but for matters of great weight, the secret ballot ensures the true will of each man is counted.
8. Count the Ballots and Declare the Result
The presiding officer, in full view of the assembly, must empty the urns and count the pebbles. The tally should be announced clearly and immediately. The decision of the majority is now the decision of all, and it must be accepted by all, for this is the compact upon which a free state rests.
9. Formally Dismiss the Assembly
Once the business is concluded, close the assembly with another prayer or proclamation. This provides a clear end to the formal proceedings. The citizens then depart, not as warring factions, but as a single body politic that has deliberated and determined its own course.
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